Technology firm Onnu is to build the first of 16 pyrolysis hubs in the Wye Valley in what it says is the UK’s biggest carbon removal initiative.
It will transform biomass from local poultry farmers into 1.6 million tonnes of biochar, saying more than 500,000 tons of carbon will be saved each year when all hubs are completed in four years’ time.
Onnu said disposal of poultry litter has become problematic and expensive after a public outcry over the impact of phosphorous run-off on local eco-systems and stricter regulatory controls on land-spreading.
“By using this waste biomass as a pyrolysis feedstock, we turn a problem into a revenue stream for local farmers,” said chief executive Giles Welch.
“The resulting biochar will be used as a safe and transportable organic fertiliser forming part of a circular economy in UK agriculture. This is the only genuinely sustainable solution to the problems facing the Wye Valley.”
The 16 hubs, on sites across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Powys,will each be located a few minutes’ drive from several dozen poultry farms to minimise traffic.
Each hub will have two pyrolysis machines processing 10,000 tonnes of waste biomass a year, meaning 1.6m tonnes a year will be processed in all.
Biochar is produced by burning biomass at high temperatures without oxygen and is primarily used as a soil amendment, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers. It can also be used as a replacement for aggregates in construction and for water filtration.
The Government’s Biomass Strategy, released today, said biochar’s carbon sequestration use could play a valuable role in UK climate objectives, but noted further research was required before deployment at scale.
“To date, much of the evidence on biochar stability is based on laboratory data and localised short term studies in tropical regions,” said the strategy report, noting that its physical properties were heavily dependent on environmental conditions.
It said the Government is currently fnding a biochar demonstrator and field trials of its application across different scenarios to evaluate efficacy and wider environmental impacts.
Onnu already has four potential locations for its first site and said the buildings needed would be a similar size to a typical barn, with underground storage.
